An example of simulated data modelled for the CMS particle detector on the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN. Here, following a collision of two protons, a is produced which decays into two jets of hadrons and two electrons. The lines represent the possible paths of particles produced by the proton-proton collision in the detector while the energy these particles deposit is shown in blue. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Last Wednesday, the CERN, or Conseil Européen pour la Recherche Nucléaire, the European organization for Nuclear Research, was on the spotlight. It was day of much celebration among physicists around the globe and at the largest particle physics laboratory in the world. Physicists working with the Large Hadron Collider, a humongous subterranean particle accelerator, have been able to discover the Higgs-Boson, the supposed key to the explanation of why particles have mass, and may provide the key to understanding how the universe came to be. Without the Higgs, scientists say, all matter would just flit about at the speed of light, flowing and beyond grasp or grab.

The Higgs is not a quark, by the way. Remember when they discovered the quark sometime between 1964-1968? That caused quite a stir in the particle physics community. Now this!

Of course, it’s a little early to explain everything but it is certainly a break through after decades of work. Peter Higgs, the scientist who first published a paper in 1964 in Edinburgh University about a particle that explains how an ordered universe came about after the Big Bang, has lived to see all his work validated by this discovery. His theory was, of course, rejected, early on by other scientists. Today, he’s an octogenarian, and must be celebrating with all the other scientists who have worked unrelentingly to find these answers.

What a monumental event in the history of Science! In the history of mankind! What a dedicated, persevering, resilient and passionate bunch of people these men and women are, working against criticism, even mockery, for something that only a small minority of individuals can even comprehend. What a testimonial to our insatiable desire to understand the world we live in.

Interactions (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

P.S. I wonder what the bunch of people in certain parts of our country who are arbitrarily modifying history and science textbooks to promote their own beliefs about evolution, called creationism. Will they just be keeping mum? Or will they deny or even condemn this breakthrough as the work of heretics?

They are a loud, ill-informed, small-minded, bigoted bunch who expect the rest of the world to bend to their rantings. Why they deserve media air time just boggles my mind! I’d like to think the media want to inject some comic relief in their segments for the sake of variety but I’m not so sure that’s what it is.

Thanks for the visit and like on my blog. I enjoyed this post of yours too, and am glad to see Mr Higgs wearing his safety helmet at CERN – being hit on the head by a fast moving boson could be serious.